Title

Author

Date of Award

Degree Name

College

Graduate School of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Sandra S. Stroebel

Second Advisor

Fred Jay Krieg

Third Advisor

Stephen L. O’Keefe

Abstract

Behavior Screeners are important tools for early identification of children’s social, emotional, and behavioral problems in schools. This study evaluated the concurrent and predictive validity of the BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-2 BESS). It was compared to the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) to determine the congruent validity between the instruments. Predictive validity was examined by comparing the instruments to office referrals. The rating scales were administered to parents (96% mother, 4% father) of 8 identified and 15 non-identified students (mean age of 10.3 years; 52% male, 48% female). Pearson correlation coefficients examining the consistency between the two instruments were generally strong and positive, supporting the use of both instruments for assessing a child for behavioral or emotional problems. An analysis of hits and misses found the BASC-2 BESS accurate for predicting office referrals and therefore usable for screening students for possible behavioral problems.